Feyenoord player Kökcü scores for winning Turkey in fraught duel with Armenia
NOS Football–
Turkey started the 2024 European Championship qualifying tournament with a win in the fraught duel with Armenia. Thanks in part to a goal by Orkun Kökçü, the Turks won 2-1 in the Armenian capital of Yerevan.
Feyenoord captain Kökçü equalized for Turkey after more than half an hour of play, after an own goal by Ozan Kabak had given the Armenians an early lead.
Midway through the second half, Kerem Aktürkoglu made the second for Turkey, after a quickly taken free kick by Enes Ünal, former player of FC Twente and NAC Breda, among others.
Swiss win over Belarus
Switzerland started the qualifying tournament with an easy win over Belarus: 5-0. After half an hour of play, Renato Steffen had already scored three goals. In the second half, Granit Xhaka and Zeki Amdouni provided the final score.
The match was played in an empty stadium in Novi Sad, Serbia’s second city. Belarus is required by European soccer federation UEFA to play its matches on neutral ground and without a crowd because of its involvement in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The question is whether Belarus will still need Serbia’s hospitality next international period, in mid-June. UEFA is considering excluding Belarus from participation in all European competitions, including the European Championship qualifying tournament.
The soccer federation will make a decision on this in early April.
